Guelph, Ont., October 15, 2024 – All are invited to attend and celebrate the unveiling of an art installation beside the Speed River in John Galt Park, at the site of the former Trans Canada Trail kiosk, on October 18 at 5:30 p.m.
Created by Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫʼ (Cayuga) and German artist Alex Jacobs-Blum, the photographic mural “At the river’s edge, the Grandmothers are weaving tomorrow” (2024) was commissioned by the Decolonizing Place Narratives Research Collective in collaboration with Guelph Museums and the City’s Culture and Parks departments. The project is funded in part through a grant awarded to the City by Trans Canada Trail.
Through the site-specific public art installation, Jacobs-Blum asks: “How can Indigenous relationships with the Speed and Eramosa Rivers reshape our understanding of the City of Guelph as an Indigenous place?” The mural features a trio of “Grandmothers,” Valarie King (Mississaugas of the Credit), Dr. Kim Anderson (Métis) and Renée Thomas-Hill (Mohawk/Cayuga), standing in the rivers.
Positioned next to the Speed River, the mural aims to re-story the site from a contemporary Indigenous perspective, centre our relationships with the land and water in the place we call Guelph and cultivate awareness about shared responsibilities in caring for these vital resources amid the climate crisis.
Meet the artist and members of the Decolonizing Place Narratives Research Collective at the art unveiling and celebratory gathering. Bring portable lanterns, lawn chairs and blankets. Dress for the season. Snacks provided by Pow Wow Café.
About the Decolonizing Place Narratives Research Collective
The Decolonizing Place Narratives Research Collective is engaged in “re-storying” the erasure of Indigenous presence in settler-colonial urban spaces. Led by Indigenous scholars at the University of Guelph, the project is actively collecting data from local archives, gathering oral histories and conducting site visits to “re-read” locations of historical and cultural importance. The research will culminate in a future exhibition at Guelph Civic Museum and along the waterways in Guelph.
About the City of Guelph’s commitment to honouring Indigenous peoples through placemaking
In the 2022 Guelph Park Plan, Culture Plan 2030, and the recently approved Indigenous Relations Framework, the City commits to honouring the rich histories, culture, land and values of Indigenous peoples. This project is one of the first park-based Indigenous placemaking initiatives and highlights the importance of Indigenous placemaking through a collaborative process, integrating culture, history, art, technology and the natural environment. The City values the growth and learning that come from partnerships such as this and remains committed to similar initiatives in the future.
For more information
Dawn Owen, Curator
Museums and Culture, Public Services
City of Guelph
519-836-1221 extension 2774
[email protected]